


Hostage (WT'18 No.18)

by TheHirsch



Series: Superhero AU [13]
Category: Almost Human, And There Is Hope!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Bank Robbery, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, F/M, Female Protagonist, Hurt/Comfort, Major Original Character(s), Original Character(s), Serious Injuries, Whump, Whumptober, Whumptober 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2020-10-28 19:07:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20783630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHirsch/pseuds/TheHirsch





	Hostage (WT'18 No.18)

It was early in the morning. The rising sun tried to make its way through the thick layer of smog that was covering Los Angeles.  
The shops were opening and the fist rush hour of the day was just starting. A teal coloured van slowly headed towards one of the skyscrapers downtown.  
A young blonde employee opened the big glass doors to the the handful of customers inside who were already waiting. Slowly, the bank filled with people. An ongoing coming and leaving.  
Suddenly a man yelled something, drawing an automatic gun. Most of the customers went to the ground instinctively.

***

Kennex sat in the cruiser, on his regular tour across the city when the chattet on the police radio went up again. There was a hostage situation going on and they were requesting all forces available.  
He started to head towards the location. The coffee in the cupholder was getting cold, he didn't care.  
In front of the building a huge group of people had formed already, he supported his colleagues by holding the crowd back. The Swat team was still on its way, not to be expected in the next minutes.  
They knew of four robbers who had taken at least two hostages. Suddenly a shot rang out inside the building along with the sound of shattering glass.  
One of the robbers, a first timer had tripped and accidentally fired his weapon.  
The police outside reacted and started swarming the building.  
The robbers backed up, deeper inside the building, taking two of the hostages with them. Three of them and the two hostages ended up in bathroom.  
The other robber had to hide in a closet in order to don't get arrested.  
Kennex carefully walks down the hall, caching every room to his left and right, offices. No one is there.  
Suddenly there were steps behind him, he spun around.  
She is standing right in front of him, her gun pointed towards him, her face stayed neutral as she pulled the trigger.  
There was pain in his chest, it seemed like the bullet has made its way through the vest into his chest. He falls to the ground, darkness is surrounding him

***

When he gained consciousness he needed a quick moment to orientate.  
“Hey. I'm glad you are awake.”  
He looked where the voice came from.  
It was Jurow. She was sitting next to him on a chair and held his hand.  
He was feeling funny, like wrapped up into cotton wool.  
“...Nata,” he murmured.  
He was not dead. He was not dead!  
“You took quite a blow. They fixed you up quite well. You coded. Twice. Don't scare me like that again,” she said quietly.  
“I hate this place,” Kennex looked around in the room. Since the ambush and the long time spent in the hospital afterwards he got anxiety from hospitals.  
“I know, honey. I talked to the doctors, as soon as you are fully stabilised were gonna take you home,” she paused. “I'm so sorry I wasn't there. And when I was, it was way too late.”  
He squeezed her hand. She replied the gesture.  
“How--.How did it end?” he asked.  
She nervously escaped his eye contact, and looked to the ground.  
“So bad?”  
“It was a massacre. The hostages were killed and the police shot the robbers. The only of of them surviving is the lady that shot you.”  
Kennex let out a noise of discomfort. “What a fail…”  
“No. Except you all cops are okay. And we all know that freeing hostages doesn't work like on TV…”  
He nodded in agreement, he was getting sleepy again.

***

Two days later. Kennex was at home with Jurow, still staying in bed but with way better food and more privacy. He felt much better, psychologically, being out of this place.  
Jurow was happy about the pause in action Ava was doing at the moment, she could fully dedicate to caring for her love.  
He could eat when he wanted and sleep when he was tired. Not like in the hospital where there was a strict schedule for everything.  
On his first morning at home, Jurow had made Kennex a healthy breakfast.  
When she entered the room, he was still asleep. She quietly placed the tray on the nightstand. She smiled and quietly approached his bed to read his oxygen values. She nodded, happy that they were normal. She quietly left again.  
Vashchenko was working in her room over the fifth cup of coffee, the keyboard sounded like a machine gun, she seemed motivated. Jurow decided to get her a new, quieter keyboard.  
Jurow went back to the kitchen to make a toast with butter. She made herself tea instead of coffee. The kitchen still smelled phenomenal. She let herself sink into the chair while she waited for the water to boil. She stared at the toast, she had taken only one bite from it. She didn't feel like eating, the toast seemed like plastic. Like something no-one would try to eat.  
She stood up to pour the tea. She took the tea and her phone. Suddenly she hoped that Ava was doing some shit again, just to stop her downwards spiral of thoughts.  
Jurow went upstairs, to sit with Kennex. Playing some stupid mobile game where one had snip animals upwards, dodge traps and collect money. From time to time she sipped her tea.  
She was focused on keeping her mind here and don't think about what had happened; the fact that she had let him down and now his killer was still running around out there, free like a bird. Sure, the authorities where looking for her but she sure knew how to get off the grid. Maybe she had made her way over the wall already.  
Jurow cleared her throat and started scrolling through social media. Not a good idea either. The robbery was trending. Everyone was saying how sorry they were for the victims and how much the police had fucked up.  
Kennex began to stir, slowly waking up.  
Jurow turned off her phone and watched him wake up.  
When he opened his eyes, she was smiling.  
“How are you feeling?” she asked.  
He hadn't got a pain-medicine shot in hours, the last time at 3am when he couldn't sleep because of the pain.  
“Still like shit, but better than yesterday,” he reached for her hand and squeezed it. ”I'm glad, I'm with you now.”  
“Me and your lead surgeon had a long discussion. In the end I practically had to bail you out. We might get an unannounced visit from a doctor, controlling my work,” she scoffed. “I bet I have seen more GSWs than them. Anyways, do you have something specific you would like for lunch?”  
“Noodles?”  
“Sure. But I need to buy a few ingredients for this… “  
His face lit up. “Would be great. But before you leave, can you check? My chest really hurts...”  
Jurow put both her hands into her neck for some time, to make them less cold. Then she started to open a few buttons on Kennex’ shirt.  
His chest looked like a chest looks that had been shot recently and then opened up to stop the bleeding. For good measure she went across the room to get her stethoscope.  
Lung noises were normal: “You are OK. But I'm going to give some pain medicine.”  
Kennex nodded. “Thank you.”  
Jurow was debating whether it was smart to go to buy some things for lunch nor not. Too anxious that something could happen to Kennex while she was gone.  
Vashchenko had made clear that she was in danger of punching someone in the face, but she was willing to make a plan how-to this as fast as possible.  
Jurow told Kennex that she would be back soon, and that he should tell Vashchenko if he needed anything.  
Fifteen minutes had passed, Vashchenko could hear Jurow turn the key in the lock. Jurow went straight into the kitchen, then up to John.  
After she had talked to him and made sure he was alright up there, she started to prepare lunch. She still couldn't get this on thought out of her head. She should have been there. What kind of superhero was she?  
The following night Jurow started having a nightmare, strange things evolving around the theme of losing Kennex. She woke up from it when the worst part was reached. Panting she sat up in her bed, looking the open door between her room and the room he was sleeping in. “Nata?” it was him, not able to get up, but he could tell that something was going on.  
Jurow silently cursed and stood up. Showing herself in the door frame, “What's up?” she asked.  
“Are you alright?” he looked worried. Sitting in his bed, his face strangely lit by the tablet on his belly. One of Natasha's black earphones was in his ear. He had watched something because he had trouble sleeping.  
Natasha nodded silently. “Trouble sleeping?” she pulled her desk chair to his bed.  
“Yeah. Why don't you come with me? Not like I'm sick and could infect you with something.“  
“No… It's just… I don't want to hurt you,” she suddenly sounded very quiet, almost sad.  
“Oh, honey, I'm sure you won't,” he smiled. He was missing her warmth, hugging on the couch and holding each other.  
“I can't, I have something going on I need to attend to,” she said, making a reference to superhero stuff. When really she just wanted to curl up and cry without him knowing. She loved him with all her heart, and still she had put him at risk, too often.  
“I'll be back. Need to go to the loo first.”  
She stood up and left the room. She had done it again, lied to him.  
Locked in the bathroom, not turning on the light, she let herself slide down against the door, hugging her knees. She couldn't do this anymore. What if he actually died next time? Not like he already was deeply traumatized. The police had only kept him in because he could not be corrupted by any mob.  
She had a responsibility, there was always something going on in LA. The public was relying on her. Damn, why hadn't she gone to this bank and helped. She was lucky that he survived it and didn't go comatose again, like way back after The Attack when Kennex had lost his leg.  
Jurow ended up curled up on the floor sobbing. She had fucked up. She was the worst hero ever, not being able to protect the ones she loved.

***

After a while being there like this she returned into the living room, where Kennex had fallen asleep.  
She sat down on the uncomfortable chair again, holding his hand while he was sleeping.  
When Kennex woke up, he saw her sitting next to him, fallen asleep sitting in the desk chair. Her hand was still clinging onto his. He smiled, looking at the clock on the wall. It was five in the morning.  
Was she actually sleeping this chair?  
He felt sore and his chest was hurting so much he felt like he had throw up.  
Seeing her that way made him very concerned, what made him not feel better in anyway. When he tried to pull his hand back, she woke up as if her sleep was not really deep.  
“Sorry…” he murmured.  
Jurow was a bit disoriented at first.  
“How long have you been sitting there?” he asked roughly and cleared his throat. He tried to sit up a bit, maybe that helped against the pain.  
“Since, shortly after we talked tonight.”  
He frowned, tried to move over a bit to her, letting out a groan.  
“Are you in pain?” she asked.  
He nodded.  
Jurow got up, almost tripping over her own feet. She walked to the desk where all the items she needed for his care were placed and filled a syringe.  
She stranded back up tall after having done the injection. He looked up to her, in the soft light that was filling the room.  
“You don't look well, honey. What is going on?” he asked. Not knowing another way to express his concern.  
She sat down onto the edge of his bed. “Is just… ,” she broke off. She couldn't tell him.  
“Come on,” he said while padding the bed next to him. He moved over a bit, so she had space to lie down next to him.  
She in fact now did it, very carefully barely touching him. He lifted his blanket up to cover her. He carefully pulled her a bit closer to him. Holding her.  
Jurow was barely keeping it together. Her love to him was as strong as the fear to lose him.  
But even for her, it seemed to be great to be with him, being held close. Silently she began to cry. It took quite a while until he noticed. “Would you like talk about it? You taught me that talking always helps.” He rubbed her back. “You can tell me everything, your secrets are safe with me.”  
Jurow signed. “It's not about that…” she paused. “I just failed.”  
“What?”  
“I should have been there. I almost lost you.”  
“Oh Nata,” his kissed the top of her head. “Just because you're a superhero doesn't mean you are responsible for everyone who lives or dies. It is not possible that you are everywhere at the same time and in the end you are only human, after all. And look, even if I died, I still would have loved you. I still love you. You are doing a magnificent job nursing me back to health. There is nothing to be sorry for. Okay?”  
She nodded silently, still crying. Kennex did his best to comfort her.  
When Vashchenko came up a bit later to see why Jurow had still not called for her coffee she found the two, sleeping, clinging into each other. She let out an “awww”, smiled and silently closed the door again.


End file.
